


Resignation Rejected

by Ladibard_Wordsmith28



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Confessions, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotionally Repressed, F/M, Falling In Love, Headmaster Severus Snape, Hogwarts Headmaster's Office, Mutual Pining, Professor Hermione Granger, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:07:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25827160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladibard_Wordsmith28/pseuds/Ladibard_Wordsmith28
Summary: Headmaster Severus Snape rejects Transfiguration Professor Hermione Granger's Resignation Letter and sends it to her hours before she has arranged for her departure. The angry witch cannot go on tolerating his off-handed attitude anymore and barges in his office late into the night armed with questions. But his reply is nothing but a plea, that rocks her world and shatters her resolve once and for all. "I think I am in love with you."
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape
Comments: 6
Kudos: 176





	Resignation Rejected

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The regular disclaimer still stays in place, I owe nothing but the AU and OC. The rest belongs to JKR. My mind lives in the Harry Potter fanfiction world though my body is still thankfully anchored in the monotonous reality of existence. My themes, plotline, and storyline may, therefore, get indirectly influenced by many of the brilliant fanfiction writers on this site. And I humbly bow to such creative genius who give me much needed literary pleasures to see through the toils of mundane life. Lastly, I would like to thank Weasley’s Witches & writers admins to tempt me into thinking out of the box. Reviews would encourage this introvert writer to peep out of her literary closet.

****

**Resignation Rejected**

The fireplace at the headmaster’s office roared and a very young Transfiguration Professor stepped inside bristling with pent up anger. She walked straight up to the ancient desk and slapped her hands over it upsetting the papers and parchments strewn on the surface. The young man sitting over the other side of the table looked up at her through his reading glasses, slowly put back his quill at the inkpot, leaned back, removed his glasses, steepled his fingers, and waited for her to speak.

The young witch spat angrily,” How dare you? You vile greasy git, you...you...you sit on my letter for a week, say nothing about it and when I have arranged for everything, you owl it back to me at the dead of the night with a stamp over it,' rejected'! HOW DARE YOU REJECT MY RESIGNATION?” Her hair crackled as she paused and breathed heavily.

He studied her minutely and replied offhandedly,” Was there anything else?”

The witch gaped, surely thrown off by his question. She shut her mouth once again and hissed, ”You know what? I don't care anymore, I am leaving. And you can’t stop me, because you don’t own me, Severus Snape.”

Turning on her heels, she had stomped back to the fireplace, when two strong hands grabbed her from behind. She tried to free herself, thinking she really didn’t wish to hex the man. But in no time, the tall and lean former spy and death eater had her cornered up against the stone wall, next to the fireplace. 

They both were heaving by this time. In defeat, she had closed her eyes shut. Guilty of enjoying his touch and ashamed because she had been craving for it all this time. Snape watched her reaction and sighed deeply. He had her arms pulled behind her back and her wrists were secured within his large palms. He took pleasure at rubbing his calloused fingers around her soft wrist ever so slightly. Off late, they had captivated his attention during the meals at the Great Hall. 

He whispered over her crown,” You are not going anywhere.”

She whimpered at his cold tone,” Why? Why do you want to keep me here?”

He was about to formulate a fitting answer to that when her eyes snapped open and tears rolled down her cheek, Hermione Granger was distraught. She demanded,” Why do you want me around, why of course, in order to humiliate me in front of the students. In order to shout at me at the staff meetings. I am fed up, I am fed up being treated like a rag doll. As if those seven years as your student was not horrible enough…” She was sobbing hard.

“You are not going anywhere. You are staying here, right in front of my eyes. I am not letting you go.” he said forcefully.

She twisted her lips and snarled,” I get it, you enjoy shouting down my throat, you derive pleasure by belittling me in front of the others. I tried, throughout these years, I tried so hard to prove my worth to you and look what I got! You said everything without saying the word. You said it, meant it, of course, you could, you can, and you will forever because, in your eyes, I am nothing better than a MUDBLOOD!”

Snape had swiftly rearranged her wrists in one of his palms and had gripped her jaw with the free one. He had pried it open. His eyes had burnt in anger and his nostrils flared. Clenching his jaw, gritted his teeth, he growled at the frightened witch,” Do. Not. Say. That. Word!” 

She croaked,” Why?”

That single word finally blasted away his mental shields. Why? What was he supposed to tell her? Why? Why because she was still suffering from the Cruciatus curse? Or why because Hogwarts was the place for her to grow into a renowned scholar? Why because she could consider it home, now that she knew her parents had expired? Why because she brightened up his day? Why because he enjoyed debating with her? Why because she never stepped back and gave it as hard as he would during dueling demonstrations in front of the students? Why because Granger had become the constant Pole Star in his sleepless nights? Why because he woke up every morning with her name dancing on his lips? And of late, he was having trouble concentrating at the regular school affairs because all he was dreaming about were her hands wrapped around his neck, tracing his scars, kissing imaginary pain away, and drawing circles over his pale skin?

He blinked a couple of times, before brushing away her tears. Biting at his lower lip he tried to school his racing thoughts. Granger wrapped in his embrace, Granger smelling like butterscotch and vanilla. Granger pressed against his firm chest. Granger pinned against the stone castle wall.

Rubbing his palm over her probably aching jaw, he closed his eyes in shame and lowered his head till it rested softly over her chestnut hair. This was the closest he had ever got to this witch who had stolen his cold heart and had made it beat once again. 

His scent was overriding her senses. Myriad spices, ink and coffee, old books, and his signature essence were invading her airways and filling her lungs. Parting her lips further, she drew more of this exquisite fragrance that defined the enigma called Severus Snape. His fingers move in a hypotonic pattern, setting her skin alright.

She thought she would faint any moment now. She peeped for once and found the world had indeed gone dark. His strands of long jade black hair had blocked everything from her view. His breath fanned over her warm face. She imagined,’ it would be a fitting death if I die right at this moment…’ But he went ahead and possessively dragged her out of her grim thoughts. 

“You are not going anywhere. Because I think I am in love with you.” His baritone voice echoed in her eardrums and bounced around her world before she let go of reality and leaned forward in his inviting arms.

* * *

A/N: To all those who found the story abrupt, I tried imagining Snape as a socially inept person., especially with regards to expressing himself. If he is restraining Hermione it is because of two ingrained factors. He could never get over the loss of friendship with Lily and neither could he make peace with her untimely demise. After all these years, Hermione happened to be the first person to fill in that void. I felt Snape would rather act than verbally try to hold the stubborn witch back. Yes, he could have relied on magic, but the need to physically hold her and take emotional comfort from it must have overwhelmed him. The second part of the fic is [here: Breathing Again.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25880209).


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